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Thinking without the boxTue, 14 Aug 2018 20:58:04 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngcommentsfrompeanutgallerycomhttps://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com
Libertarian Journey, Part onehttps://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/libertarian-journey-part-one/
https://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/libertarian-journey-part-one/#respondSat, 14 Nov 2015 02:05:56 +0000http://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/?p=21Continue reading Libertarian Journey, Part one→]]>I can not say that I have always been a Libertarian, but I should have been. There was simply not enough opportunity for me to be aware of a philosophy that encourages real individual freedom for everyone. On the contrary through the education system and the lack of opportunity I had settled for a vague set of standards that would be considered conservative in conventional political thinking. It is fortunate that by example of my father that philosophy remained skeptical even though my father would be,considered, conservative too.

He was also a doer and a worker. Much of his work helped much more than his family. In fact, many people would not have made the sacrifices he made or done the amount of work that he did because to them they would not have seen direct personal benefit. My father, on the other hand, understood that what he did had great personal benefit. He understood a broader and important self interest encouraged by individuals and to the benefit of all. This is essentially the heart of Libertarianism and has its corallary in a truly free market.

fortunately I started from that base that allowed me to eventually work through the cloud of inadequate education and active suppression of information by agenda driven individuals, organizations, government. He left me an abiding love of history and reading that has allowed me the ability to make up for lost opportunities.

Being that I considered myself conservative I dutifully if not thoughtfully supported the Republican Party. The first Presidental election I really participated in was when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. I ended up joining the Presidential Task Force, a fund raising organization that operated during his terms as president. I was even briefly part of the Republican Central Committee of Monterey County. I do not recall why, but I was not able to participate on that committee.

So from that time to 2008 I supported Republican candidates, campaigns, and policies. I supported Republicans and nothing changed. Government never shrunk, taxes were always increasing for the federal government, more and more decisions came from government bureaucrats, we continued dangerous economic policies and military policies that undermined our country. It seemed not to matter who you voted for it never helped move our country back to what I knew was what our founding ideals were. Wasn’t that what voting for Republicans meant.

At that point, I had started a concentrated reading effort prompted by a dissatisfaction and to identify something better. I had been listening to a local conservative, but in retrospect was closer to Libertarian radio show than the host, Mark Carbonero, probably would admit. He had a number of authors on and that is where I started reading. In a system that I would call “grazing”, reading one book and moving to other books connected with the book just read.

Since just before retiring in 2014 and now I have read over 100 books, mostly history, politics, and economics. I have read in great variety, from Milton Friedman to Bertrand Russell, Karl Marx to Adam Smith. I have read core libertarian and Austrian economics, fredrick hayack, Mises, Rothbard and Woods. I read American history on the founding of the nation, books written about the founders, and books written by founders. all of this put me where I am at now.

]]>https://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/libertarian-journey-part-one/feed/0mbrusa7676gmailcomA Memory from long Agohttps://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/a-memory-from-long-ago/
https://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/a-memory-from-long-ago/#respondWed, 11 Nov 2015 17:00:19 +0000http://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/a-memory-from-long-ago/Continue reading A Memory from long Ago→]]>A few weeks ago while watching the Pawn Shop, a reality TV show on the History channel, where individuals bring in treasure or junk to sell a segment brought forth a powerful memory of a special time. Often people bring in sports memorabilia because there is a big market for such items. On this episode an gentleman brought in a basketball. The ball was an autographed ball with signatures of the Harlem Globtrotters.

Now this would not be of any particular importance until Rick turned the ball to the second signature. There written across the orangish leather of the ball in large black letters on

with a distinct personal cursive was the name Nate Branch. Now that might not illicit any particular acknowadgement because it was not Meadowlark or Curley. However, it connected with me. It makes me recall a long ago memory and another recognition of the amazing world that my father created.

My father organized many activities in the small community where I grew up. The activities included ball leagues of various sports, Easter egg hunts, forth of July activities in the park, and spanned many years while I grew up.

My dad organized a basketball tournament as part of his participation with a local club, the Booster Club. The club was very active in the community raising money and helping the local youth. The tournament was one of its annual events that generated revenue and a local activity that created local civic participation.

The tournament started with the participation of local players and teams. These teams were sponsored by local businesses in the beginning. Eventually participation grew to be state wide. The caliber of player grew from local players to players from all over the state and nation, and in some cases international because players would come to the tournament after playing in European leagues.

Players represented excellent college players, some were destined to move to to the professional ranks. Often players with outstanding skills would return to play in the tournament after spending several years in Professional basketball. In Nate’s case he had been a professional and played for the Globtrotters.

At that point teams were sponsored by companies from all over the state and brought a level of skill and competition that would thrill spectators through multiple days of games that eventually evolved to a 16 team format. Players were recruited by these teams with the desire to be able to claim bragging rights as the champion of the Gonzales Booster Club Tournament.

Those bragging rights would go along with trophies that were unmatched by a handful of other such tournaments that occurred throughout the state prior to the rise of professional basketball farm teams. The trophies were arranged on a table at one end of the gym guarded by a club member from stray balls, tumbling players from the game, or wandering children at the game. The large championship trophy sat in the middle of the table rising high above other team and individual trophies.

One of the the privileges that went with participation in the final rounds,of the tournament was the breackfast prepared at the ranch kitchen where I grew up. After the final game and the awarding of the trophies. Teams would shower and make their way out to the ranch to eat the mountain of fried potatoes, eggs, beacon and sausage, pancakes, and toasted English muffins prepared by my mom. It might be hard to determine from players memories what was mor coveted the championship trophy or the breakfast.

What connected this memory to me was not only my father and mother’ participation with the tournament, but local kids also participated in the tournament. My father recruited local children to be ball boys for the teams. My brothers, myself, and numbers of other local kids would bring towels to player, account for water for players, and shag balls during warmup and between halves.

That is why this the ball and the signature brought on this memory. I was a ball boy for a number of years. I recall that Nate returned for several years on teams that I was ball boy. None of the teams that I was a ball boy ever went to the championship. However, I recall many exciting games and late nights with the gym at Gonzales High School filled to capacity, the crowd cheering for their favorite player or team as the ball went back and forth up and down the floor.

It was a special time. A time that a tiny community sponsered an amazing activity with amazing talent. This memory created by the vision of my father and a small group of people that worked hard for their little community. Now that time is a memory. Tournaments like this have almost disappeared. The old ranch house and the kitchen are gone. My mother and father have passed on. The signature on a ball featured on a reality TV show recalls a special time and place in my life and in the lives of a small community.

]]>https://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/a-memory-from-long-ago/feed/0mbrusa7676gmailcomGetting startedhttps://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/getting-started/
https://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/getting-started/#respondSun, 08 Nov 2015 22:26:36 +0000http://commentsfrompeanutgallerycom.wordpress.com/?p=6Continue reading Getting started→]]>I retired a little over a year ago and have been reading lots, enjoying grand children, traveling a little, improving my health, volunteering for things, learning to ride horses, substituting in local schools, and relaxing when I can. In reality being retired is very relaxed in that other than “hunny do’s”, I decide what I will do. I check the shoebox and there is still money there, so I have not spent through my vast fortune accumulated during my career, so for the time being I will be able to continue the life I am engaged in.

Part of reading is reflecting on everything that you know or what you think you know. It is both personal reflection and less personal in regard to history and politics. I have realized much of what I think I know may not be exactly what it seems. It is my hope that now I will be adding writing as part of my reflection and retirement activities. In the future I will be adding blogs of recollection and politics. Hopefully of interest to me and perhaps others.